SSL/TLS Certificate Validation Failure in libvirt
Summary
CVE-2017-1000256: libvirt version 2.3.0 and later is vulnerable to a bad default configuration of "verify-peer=no" passed to QEMU by libvirt resulting in a failure to validate SSL/TLS certificates by default. Affects libvirt across 2 version ranges.
< 2.5.0-r2
>= c3dfe808cf3dca9e27d407a6fbc9ba5f1b8ecbcb, < 6380fb9795cf921b96e1ad235a0cab78e318299d
Fixed in 2.5.0-r2. How to fix ↓
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Background
libvirt is an open-source API, daemon, and management tool for managing virtualization technologies. It provides a consistent interface for interacting with various virtualization platforms, such as QEMU, KVM, Xen, and more. The libvirt package is widely used in virtualization environments to manage and control virtual machines. However, versions 2.3.0 and later of libvirt suffer from a bad default configuration that results in a failure to validate SSL/TLS certificates by default when communicating with QEMU.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability, identified as CVE-2017-1000256, arises from the default configuration of libvirt passing the option 'verify-peer=no' to QEMU. This configuration oversight leads to the failure of SSL/TLS certificate validation. As a consequence, an attacker could potentially perform a man-in-the-middle attack, intercepting and tampering with the communication between libvirt and QEMU. This could result in unauthorized access, data leakage, or the execution of arbitrary code on the affected system.
How To Fix
Minimum fixed version
2.5.0-r2
This is the first release that contains the fix.
sudo apk add --upgrade libvirtTip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →
Workaround
As a temporary workaround, users can manually configure libvirt to enable SSL/TLS certificate validation by setting the 'verify-peer=yes' option. This can be done by modifying the libvirt configuration file or by passing the option as a command-line argument when starting the libvirt daemon.
Conclusion
The vulnerability in libvirt that results in SSL/TLS certificate validation failure can have severe consequences, including unauthorized access and data leakage. It is crucial to update the libvirt package to the recommended versions or apply the provided workaround to mitigate the risk. For further assistance and support in vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
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FAQ
libvirt is an open-source API, daemon, and management tool for managing virtualization technologies.
This vulnerability allows an attacker to perform a man-in-the-middle attack, potentially leading to unauthorized access, data leakage, or the execution of arbitrary code.
Versions 2.3.0 and later of libvirt are affected.
Update the libvirt package to version 2.5.0-r2 or later for Alpine:v3.5 ecosystem, and version 3.3.0-r2 or later for Alpine:v3.6 ecosystem.
Yes, you can manually enable SSL/TLS certificate validation by setting the 'verify-peer=yes' option in the libvirt configuration.
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